Tuesday, March 9, 2010

1960s was the only time when Karachi showcase its economic development to the World. It potrays herself as a rising Asian tiger. Almost all the developments in the city were taken place in those times. From the landmark Quaid Mausoleum to the University of Karachi.

In the 60s the building we all know as Habib Bank Plaza in Karachi was the tallest building all the way from the Middle East down to Singapore. World Financial Center in Seoul, South Korea is designed and modelled after Karachi.

Missions from Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur come to Karachi to learn, Sheikhs from the Arab world use to come to Karachi to play at Sindbad casino, Almost all of Karachi's public buildings including the State Bank building, Stock exchange, PNSC, National Museum, Hill Park etc, New neighborhoods like Bahadurabad, North Nazimabad, PECHS etc were build during those times. Structural Skelton of the Hyatt regency hotel in Karachi still stands unfinished given us a mute reminder of those days.

But today Karachi is not upto par with its sister Shanghai, which is building the worlds second tallest building. The Shanghai Tower or called as the Shanghai Center will be located right beside the famous Shanghai World Financial Center (current second world tallest completed building, 492m) and Jin Mao Tower (421m), in the area straight axis to the Oriental Pearl Tower (468m). Shanghai is also building hundreds of other such monuments right across its city.

Compare to Karachi; the tall buildings in the city are just announced but we see no progress from the 1947ft high Port tower complex to the KPT tower complex. Forget about the tall buildings, even the work on Karachi Mass Transit hasn't begun yet.